


Mistakes, Lies, And The Truth

by MissMcCarthy



Series: Parallel Universes [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Heavy Angst, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-02-09 06:04:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12881718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMcCarthy/pseuds/MissMcCarthy
Summary: What if Bellamy and the gang arrived a year after the Eligius mining ship? What if Clarke had been forced to join the miners to save Madi’s life?





	1. Mistakes

Clarke looked out over the small mining camp, eyes roaming over the people rushing about, and sighed softly. Winter had finally set in, and the snow began to fall in heavy flurries, coating the forest and bringing quiet to the wilderness. Footsteps crunched behind her, and she turned to see Madi racing up to her.

“Nomen! They want us back at camp; we need to help secure the med bay, the tarp over it is loose again” Madi said, as she stood next to Clarke.

Clarke nodded, and turned back towards the trail, “alright then, let’s go get ready. This winter is sure to be a bad one if summer was any indication, we’ll need to make sure we’re as set as we can be.”

“I’ll race you!” Madi yelled, taking off towards camp at a fast run, leaving Clarke in the dust. 

“Don’t hurt yourself! Dammit Madi, slow down!” Clarke called back, racing after her and only catching up when they were at the gate of the mining camp.  
Madi rolled her eyes and walked into camp, “I’m not a foolish baby, Nomen. I’m not going to fall in the snow!”

Clarke just sighed as she approached the small wooden structure they called med bay. The hut as it could more accurately be called was a small thing and very roughly put together. It had been one of the first structures the miners put together when they first arrived the fall before last, and their building skills were rather horrible back then. They’d intended to build a new medical hut this summer, but they had run out of time - and wood. Nowadays, the front of the roof was secured by a tarp, and the rough door had swollen in the humidity, making it too big to shut completely.

The drafty building kept very little of the winter chill out, but it had kept the snow out last winter. In the summer, it was stifling hot, and even the breeze couldn’t help it. They’d been glad for the hole in the roof then! The rough wood was also infamous for the splinters everyone at camp had received at some point, either while building the hut or trying to get inside! 

The day passed quickly as they repaired the hut, packing mud into the cracks to keep some of the wind out, and repairing the hole the best they could. Soon, sunset was creeping over the camp, and the girls knew they would be unable to do anything else in the darkness of the new moon night. The loud clanging of a bell rang through the camp, and they headed off towards the dining hall.

Gellert turned to them as they entered, a malicious grin on his face “Glad to see you’re still here. I’d hate to have to track you down. Again.”  
Clarke rolled her glacier blue eyes, ignoring him as they grabbed their rations and headed towards their table in the corner. Gellert grabbed her arm tightly, and pulled Clarke towards him, and motioned for Madi to continue on her way. 

“You will show me respect, Clarke. You may have been Wanheda once, but that was a long time ago” he growled into her ear, tucking the dirty blonde strands that had fallen into her face back behind her ear. His grip on his arm tightened, and Clarke winced, knowing that when she awoke tomorrow, she'd be left with a giant bruise.

Clarke nodded quickly, her voice low and quiet, trying to appease the brute of a man as she apologized, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”  
He pushed her away, “Good. I’d hate to have to teach you a lesson again.” The smirk on his face reminding her of the torture and abuse she’d endured when they had first caught her. 

Clarke backed away slowly, heading over to Madi. Madi’s green eyes were dark, full of anger, and her face was tight. As she opened her mouth to speak, Clarke shook her head almost imperceptibly, silencing her before she even made a sound. Madi huffed, and ate her dried meat quickly, though the anger rolled off her in waves. 

Their meal finished, they set off back to the medical hut and began to prepare for bed. They pulled their dirty bedrolls from the corner and rolled them out next to each other, shaking out the one blanket they’d been given to share to get the dirt off as they laid down side by side. 

“Clarke, why don’t we leave? You don’t have to put up with this!” Madi said, her voice passionate, but quiet. She knew better than to talk loud and risk drawing the attention of the miners. She’d made that mistake once, and Clarke had paid dearly for it. 

Clarke sighed, “Madi. You know we can’t leave, if they find us, and they will, they will torture us. I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Go to sleep. I don’t want to talk about this anymore tonight.”

Madi huffed, rolling over to face away from Clarke, and closed her eyes. It didn’t take long before Madi had dozed off, and Clarke was finally alone. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she thought back over everything she had endured since she had been separated from the delinquents.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarke had found Madi a year after Praimfaya, in a small cave near the river. Madi was thin, her light tan skin tight over her bones, but her forest green eyes were full of life as she stared defiantly up at Clarke. Over the next five years, Madi and Clarke had grown to become family and their bond was tighter than anyone. Clarke became Madi’s mother and finally began to understand how Bellamy had felt all those years ago as he tried to protect Octavia from everything.

They’d formed a life for themselves out there in the desolate wilderness, waiting and watching as the forest rebuilt itself around them. Every month the patch of green grew bigger it seemed, and more life returned. There were new plants to be seen, plants that had warped because of the radiation and fruits that had once been safe would now leave you sick as a dog for a week. Clarke had made that mistake once and had gorged herself on a berry they had survived off of back at the dropship. Madi hadn’t liked the taste and had eaten only one berry. She’d watched, terrified, as Clarke came close to death’s door. Luckily, Clarke had finally felt better by the ninth day, and they’d avoided them ever since. 

Six years after Praimfaya, the Eligius mining ship had touched down. At first, when they’d heard the ship landing, they thought that Bellamy and the others were returning, but they quickly realized their mistake. They’d tried to hide from the miners and watch from a distance, but they were caught quite quickly. They had left the Rover and all of their supplies hidden in a cave outside of green area and covered it with debris leftover from Praimfaya, making sure that the miners would not be able to find it. They’d been spying on the miners from the small hill that overlooked the camp when Thomas and Daniel caught them.

Thomas and Daniel, the tall tan twins with hazel eyes and strawberry colored hair and a love for causing pain, had been amazed to find anyone still alive and had quickly taken them back to camp. They’d been locked up and treated like prisoners. It didn’t take Gellert long to realize the easiest way to get information from Clarke was to threaten Madi, and their lives had been hell ever since. In the early days, they’d been kept locked up in a tiny cell. Clarke had been tortured, neglected, and endured unspeakable things. She’d been forced to tell them all about the bunker and the delinquents. She’d done her best to conceal as much as she could, telling them the bunker was located at Mount Weather instead of Polis. Clarke had tried to run once, but they hadn’t made it far before being caught by Gellert. That was the first night in years that she wished so violently for death. He had broken her arm, left her bruised and battered and done unspeakable things to her. She’d been forced to watch as Madi had been branded on her forearm by a piece of scalding metal. A permanent reminder to not try that again.

She’d barely talked of the delinquents in space, not wanting to give information away that she didn’t have to. She’d told them only how many there were and that they left her behind so she could fix the satellites so they could safely go. She didn’t talk about how much they meant to her, or how much she missed them. She said none of that; she couldn’t bear the thought of them, knowing that they were most likely dead and probably had been for years by that point. Quietly, she hoped that if they survived and made it down, they could survive Gellert. She didn’t tell them how they were warriors and had fought battles, how they had survived hell and everything on this Earth, and they could beat him too. If they were alive, and if they came back, she wanted them to stand a chance.

As months passed and Clarke had begun to break, the miners had given Clarke and Madi more freedom. They could wander camp with a guard, and so long as Clarke wore hobbles around her ankles to keep her from running. When the miner’s doctor died from eating poisonous nuts, they’d given Clarke her ‘freedom’ and made her their resident doctor. It had been a few months now, and Clarke and Madi had adjusted to life in their hell. They’d stopped fighting, and trying to run away. They were surviving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn broke to reveal a foot of snow had been dumped on the camp. The tarp on the Medical hut had fallen, leaving a pile of snow inside to be cleaned up. The girls woke, shivering from the freezing cold and set to work quietly. They were too tired and cold to speak, their breath visible in the chilly air. By the time the snow was cleaned, and the tarp was back up, the morning bell rang out through the silent morning, silencing the few birds who dared to sing on a day like this. 

They raced into the dining hall, relishing the heated building. The miners were allowed to sleep in the ship at night, where they were protected from bite of winter’s air. Only Clarke and Madi were forced to sleep outside, as they had yet to earn the right to enjoy the warmth. They ate quickly, quietly talking about their plans for the day and all they had to do still. 

After breakfast, they set to work in the smokehouse, where they helped prepare the few animals yesterday’s hunt to be dried and saved for the winter. As they worked, Clarke continued her lessons to Madi. She taught her about medicine, history, math, science, and anything Madi wondered about. Although they were unwilling prisoners, they were managing to make a life in their jail.

Around noon, a loud boom shattered the quiet of the neighboring forest. Everyone stopped in their task, staring up at the sky where a small shuttle was descending. The same shuttle that Clarke had watched take off all those years ago. Her eyes grew wide and hopeful, watching its rough descent. She lost it behind the trees and turned to look at Madi. Madi was staring up at Clarke, her face full of excitement and wonder. Unthinkingly, they began to run towards the gate, wanting to race off and see who had survived.

“Grab Clarke! Put her back in the closet!” Gellert’s voice pierced the camp who had grown silent as they watched the descent.


	2. Choices and Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke sees Bellamy and the gang for the first time in seven years, and she's forced to choose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

They were feet from the gate, from freedom, when Thomas reached out to grab Madi with one arm. He gathered her into a chokehold and began to pull her back further into camp, choking her out. When Clarke saw what happened, her gaze dropped, and she raced to Thomas’ side, pleading with him to put her down. Daniel punched Clarke in the cheek, and she dropped to the floor from the hit. Thomas loosened his hold as Daniel grabbed Clarke by the hair and dragged her back to the cell they’d once lived in.

Clarke and Madi were thrown into the hell again. The cell was completely dark, with no light inside at all except for what crept under the door. If they were lucky, Daniel would forget to put something against the door to make sure that the room remained pitch black. The cell was maybe five feet by five, leaving Clarke only able to stretch out at night if they laid diagonal. The room was bare of anything but a bucket, one that if they used they would have to scrub out the next day.

Clarke leaned against the wall and slid down to sit as the door slammed shut and the heavy thud of the lock slammed into place. Madi yelled, banging on the door, raging like a caged animal. The last time they’d been in here had been enough to leave her afraid of tight places, and this was her worst nightmare.

“Madi, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay, come sit” Clarke whispered, her voice rough with the tears she was holding back.

Madi screamed once more, full of anger and fear like a wild animal, kicking the door once more before curling up next to Clarke. When Madi sat down, Clarke put her arm around her and pulled her close. The two silently cried together, holding on to each other for comfort. Eventually, the crying slowed and Clarke began to plot.

“Madi, I need you to promise me something,” Clarke said quietly, looking down to meet her daughter’s gaze.

“I can try, Nomen” Madi whispered, noticing that for the first time in what felt like ages, Clarke’s eyes weren’t dull and vacant. They were fiery and full of hope.

“Things are going to get crazy. I need you to promise me that you’ll do as I say and go along with it. Even if it doesn’t make sense” Clarke’s voice was hard, firm.

Madi nodded slowly, ever curious, but knowing better than to voice it somewhere where they could be overheard. The two sat together like that for hours, only moving apart when their rations were slid under the door.

The night passed quickly, and the girls curled up together. Although the location was much worse and they had no bed, at least they weren’t in fear of freezing to death overnight. That was enough for them.

When morning dawned, they sat quietly, and Clarke continued her lessons with Madi in hopes of keeping both of them sane - and calm. What felt like days had passed by the time Gellert opened the door to their cell. He smirked down at them as they blinked, their eyes stinging from the sudden light that they were not accustomed to. The girls looked at each other, finally able to see each other in light since they were locked up. Madi had a large bruise on her neck from where she’d been choked, and Clarke’s left cheek was one giant bruise.

“Hello, girls. Enjoy your nap, did we?” his voice was full of humorless laughter, harsh and cold like being plunged into a frozen lake.

Madi stared down at her feet, not meeting his gaze, while Clarke nodded and whispered almost silently, all of the fight seeming to have left her body, “Yes Gellert. I’m sorry I tried to run, I just wanted to get to them, to see who survived. I should not have tried to do that. I won’t try again, I swear.”

Gellert laughed, his voice loud and bouncing off the walls of the tiny room, “Good girl. Come now, you don’t have to worry about them! Thomas and Daniel took the guys to go find ‘em for you!” Gellert laughed again as Clarke flinched, “come now. If you promise to behave, you can get back to work.”

“We promise to behave” Clarke murmured, as Clarke and Madi got to their feet, neither one meeting his gaze.

Gellert stepped back and motioned for the girls to follow him, “It only took you girls a day to remember your place! Hopefully, we don’t have this problem again. Only seems fair to reward you though for being such a quick learner.”

Gellert led the girls outside and back to the medical hut and motioned inside, where they found their dirty bedrolls, but two blankets now. They both whispered their thanks before stepping inside and getting to work tidying up the snow that had once again broken the tarp.

“Fix that damn thing once and for all, Clarke. I won’t tell you again” Gellert growled, shutting the door and leaving them inside their hut.

Clarke and Madi stayed up late into the night, patching the hole with whatever scraps of wood and material they found nearby the hut. By the time it was finished, the sun was almost rising, and they collapsed into their beds to sleep until the morning bell rang.

The morning bell never rang. Instead, there was a loud commotion by the gates that awoke the entire camp. The miners poured out of the ship, confusion, and wariness clear on their face as they tried to figure out had woken them from their sleep. Clarke and Madi followed along quietly, staying on the outskirts of the group.

The camp gates swung open, and Clarke took a sharp breath when she saw what awaited her. Madi grabbed her hand, squeezing it as Clarke studied the people who stood there. Her heart pounded as she looked at the defiant gazes of her delinquents as Thomas led them into the gate. Their hands were tied together, and their feet were hobbled like hers once were.

Bellamy stood tall, proud. He was angry, his shoulders squared, and he looked ready for a fight. Seven years had passed since she last laid eyes on him, but he almost looked identical. His hair was longer, and he had a new scar on his eyebrow that she didn’t recognize, but he was still her Bellamy. He looked rougher, and his lip was split, blood still creeping from the wound. Murphy stood next to Bellamy, and ever the problem starter, he continued to run his mouth, seemingly to mock Thomas. Thomas decked Murphy in the nose, causing him to bend in half, he coughed before looking up to reveal his heavily bleeding nose.

Bellamy lunged at Thomas but didn’t get far before he was pulled back by the chains. Monty helped Murphy to his feet, being the caring man that he is. Murphy and Monty looked braver, like their time in space had helped them grow into who they were always meant to be.

Gellert ran his eyes over the women in line with a hungry gaze, causing Clarke to shiver from fear, recalling what happened when he got like that. Raven glared at Gellert, defiantly meeting his gaze without an ounce of fear in her eyes. Echo looked like a trapped wildcat, her eyes wild and blown but her face utterly emotionless as she tried to find an escape. Harper and Emori stood in the back of the line, their faces stoic but their eyes revealing the fear they felt.

Clarke couldn’t take her eyes off them as she studied every inch of them, trying to memorize them the way they are now. She squeezed Madi’s hand twice, reassuringly, as Madi finally got her first glance at the people who she’d heard tales of for years now. The gathered crowd began to murmur louder and louder, and one of the women, Sara, gasped loudly as she pointed to what lay behind Clarke’s people.

Clarke followed her finger, and her heart plummeted as she realized what lay there. A body wrapped in cloth lay on the ground, the once beige sheets turned red from the blood of the corpse. She quickly ran a mental list of her crew, and let out a shaky breath as she realized they were all accounted for.

Gellert noticed the body too, and his face grew tight, his eyes turning to stone as he mentally counted his men. “What the fuck happened, Thomas” he growled, his voice sharp like razor blades.

Thomas yanked Bellamy forward by his shirt collar, “This asshole shot Daniel” his voice was fire, full of hate and ready to kill, his voice breaking when he said his twins name and revealing how lost he felt.

“Stay behind me, stay close” Clarke whispered to Madi, her voice so soft Madi almost didn’t hear it.

They moved closer to the front of the pack, still on the edges, until she was only 10 yards from them. Raven was the first to spot her, her brown eyes growing wide as she met Clarke’s gaze. Her soft gasp drew the attention of the rest of the crew, who quickly followed her gaze. They stood there, silently staring at each other for what felt like minutes before someone spoke.

“Clarke” Bellamy whispered, his voice breaking as he took a step towards her without seeming to realize it.

Clarke didn’t move a muscle, staring at them silently, her mind calculating as she looked them over, realizing the danger that lay ahead. She refused to meet Bellamy’s gaze, instead turning to watch Gellert.

Thomas’s face turned into a feral snarl, turning to Clarke, “Why didn’t you fucking tell us they knew how to use the guns? Were you hoping this would happen?!” he yelled.

Clarke didn’t answer, and the miners began to talk among themselves, wondering what else Clarke had hidden from them. She froze, her face going flat and emotionless, hiding the joy and fear she’d been showing just moments ago.

Gellert approached Clarke and placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing tightly, and she winced, “Is there a reason you didn’t tell us everything, Clarke?” Gellert pulled her closer to the shuttle crew, and she dropped Madi’s hand, hoping she wouldn’t get dragged into this.

Clarke stared down at her feet for a moment, before staring up at Gellert, her face hard and stoic, all signs of fear and uncertainty wiped away at that moment, “Yes there is” she said, her voice ringing out in the now quiet clearing.

Gellert raised his eyebrows and motioned for her to go on with a contemptuous flick of his hand. She nodded slowly and turned to look at her friends, her space crew that she’d feared dead for years. She hesitated a moment longer, before making up her mind.

Squaring her shoulders, she spat on the ground at their feet and called out, her voice harsh and full of as much hatred and anger as she could manage, “They left me to die. I have spent the last seven years wishing they suffered a death as painful and miserable as the one they tried to sentence me to. I didn’t care what happened to them.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you guys like it or don't like it! I know Clarke's a bit rough and broken right now and things don't make sense, but remember, she's been horribly abused, beaten, and raped for a year. She's broken inside. She's got a plan though, so just hang in there!


	3. Lies and Heartbreaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke's motivations are revealed and plans are laid.

Gellert stared at Clarke, his eyes studying her face as she stared at him. Whatever he was looking for, doubt or fear, he didn’t find. He seemed pleased with her harsh attitude, smug, “I see you really are one of us. Why’d you want to take off after them then?” he asked, voice curious but not distrustful.

Clarke could barely hear Gellert’s question over the outraged cries of the sky crew. Their voices ran together as they denied that version of events, saying that she had told them to leave her and that they never wanted this. She leveled them with a harsh stare, her eyes full of hatred, but she was careful not to look at Bellamy. If she had, she’d have seen how broken he looked at that moment. His mouth kept moving as he tried to speak, but nothing came out. They had left her to die, alone on this planet; he didn’t blame her for hating him. He hated himself more than anything at that moment, and he hated that he didn’t know what to say.

Clarke turned to Gellert, “I wanted to go after them so I could make them pay for what they did. What kind of monsters leaves their companion and the person who had killed to save them behind? They deserved it. They were going to meet the wrath of Wanheda.” 

Clarke’s voice was even, almost emotionless as she wished death on her Skaikru. Thomas turned to her, “You should have fucking warned us, Clarke! Daniel’s death is on your hands, god damn it!” he screamed at her, looking for someone to punish for his brother’s death.

Gellert put his hand on Thomas’ shoulder, “Don’t worry, Thomas. Daniel will be avenged. We’ll kill them tomorrow. You have today to decide how you’d like to do it” he comforted the angry man before turning to the crowd, “Alright, everyone back to work!”

The crowd dispersed, leaving Clarke, Madi, Thomas, Gellert, and Skaikru alone inside the gate of the camp. Skaikru was stunned into silence, starting at each other, their eyes full of confusion and uncertainty, and hurt. This was not what they had expected when they returned home; they would never have anticipated Clarke being alive, let alone her blaming them for leaving her behind. Gellert and Thomas discussed where to keep them until their executions, debating whether or not to keep them inside or let them risk the bitter cold. 

Clarke turned to Madi and tilted her head back towards the med hut and made sure she was on her way before she approached Gellert with her head down. Her voice was low as she asked him, “Gellert, may I have a moment alone with one of them? He was special to me before this all happened, and I want my chance to have a go at him before Thomas does. I promise not to kill him, though I may hit him.”

Gellert laughed loudly, “Of course you may. Which one is it? I’d love to see the one who scourned the infamous Wanheda!”

Skaikru looked among themselves before glancing at Bellamy. He was staring down at the ground, unblinking and seemingly unfeeling. Clarke had destroyed him within five minutes of seeing him again, and they weren’t sure he’d survive a one-on-one moment with her. When they heard Gellert’s surprised chuckle, they looked up to find Clarke pointing at Murphy. Confusion clouded their faces, causing even Bellamy to look up. Of course, no one looked more surprise than Murphy, who looked like he’d just been told his hair was suddenly blue.

“Really? The weasely one? I’m surprised you didn’t go for tall and handsome!” Gellert said, his voice full of mirth, “Untie him from the others. You two can remain here at the gate to talk, and Thomas will take the others to the pen. We’ll be keeping an eye on you two, but when you’re done take him to the others.”

Clarke bowed her head again, “I think we’ve established I’ve been known to make some bad decisions,” her voice was amused, like they were sharing an inside joke, “thank you for granting me this time, Gellert.”

Thomas untied Murphy from the others and shoved him to the ground. His feet were still tied in hobbles, and his hands were tied together as well, leaving him unable to catch himself before he fell face first into the dirt. Thomas led the others away, and Gellert went to continue his work, leaving the two alone. 

Murphy stared up at Clarke from the ground, “What the fuck is wrong with you, Princess?” his voice was mocking and angry.

Clarke held out her hand to help him up, sighing when he refused, before reaching down to grab his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Look, Murphy, a lot is going on, and I need you to shut the hell up and play along before you get me and my daughter killed” her voice was serious and low, ever worried that someone would listen.

Murphy’s eyebrows pulled when she said her daughter before nodding slowly, staring at her curiously. He was defiant, waiting for the proverbial punch to land and for her to say she was serious. He never expected what was to follow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of Skaikru remained silent during their walk to the pen. The pen had been built in the back of camp in the hopes of holding deer that they caught. The miners had initially hoped to capture some of the deer and keep them there to last them through the winter. That hadn’t continued long though because apparently, deer were assholes. After the deer had knocked out the second person, they’d killed them and decided to smoke the meat. 

The walls of the pen were tall, well over seven feet and almost solid. There was a small three-sided shelter in the pen that would provide very little protection from the cold and snow, but it would keep them alive for the night they would spend in there. If they were lucky and another blizzard didn’t blow through again of course.

As soon as they were alone, Emori turned to Raven, “What the fuck is happening, Raven? Clarke having a relationship with Murphy? Clarke blaming us for leaving her?” 

Raven shook her head slowly, her voice full of dread and doubt “I don’t fucking know, but something’s not right. Did you see the bruises on her? Or how she acted like his fucking pet? That’s not Clarke.”

Harper and Monty were sitting in the corner of the shed murmuring to themselves. Even though they’d broken up after a year in space, they were still close, and they always would be. Echo was pacing the boundaries of the pen, itching for a fight. She’d expected to finally be free after surviving Praimfaya and seven years in the sky. She had never considered that she would survive that all only to be sentenced to death, and there was no way she was going to lay back and take this. 

“I don’t blame her” Bellamy whispered, looking up at Raven and Emori, “Of course she hates us. We left her to die, Raven. We left her to die alone and in a fiery hell… I don’t even know she survived!” his voice was broken, and his eyes were wild, desperate. 

“Look, Raven, I know you used to be close to her or whatever, but she was alone for god knows how long? It’s pretty feasible she’s fucking snapped. We need to figure something the fuck out!” Emori huffed, staring back towards the front of the camp, even though she was unable to see the gate.

Raven glared at Emori before leaning down to whisper to Bellamy, trying to help put him back together. Whatever happened next, they were surely going to need their leader back and at full function. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay Murphy, first thing, where the fuck were you guys?!” Clarke growled, her voice angry and bitter.

“Really? That’s what we’re starting with? Not something like, I don’t know, why you just helped sentence us to fucking death?!” he half-yelled back at her, taking a step towards her.

“Keep your voice down, Murphy. If you blow this, you’re going to get all of us killed” Clarke said, “Six years after you guys left this mining vessel landed. They caught my daughter and me. Been trying to survive ever since. I’ve gotta look out for her.”

“Oh, so you’re just going to kill us to save her? Also, when the fuck did you get a daughter?” He was quickly growing exasperated with her, “and why did you ask to speak to me? We had something? Not that I remember, though I do remember you calling for me to hang so…”

Clarke rolled her eyes, “seriously Murphy, that was years ago. I needed a plausible excuse good enough for them to leave me alone with one of you. I knew I’d break if I had to be this close to the others without touching them, so you were the best bet.” Murphy muttered a sarcastic thanks as Clarke continued, “Look, we don’t have long. I’m going to get you out of here, but I need you to make me a promise.”

She waited for him to nod before she took a deep breath, “No matter what happens, you get my daughter, Madi, out of here. You won’t be able to wait for me, but you will take her with you, okay?”

Murphy stared at her, a sarcastic retort on the tip of his tongue before he nodded, “Seems a bit like deja vu, doesn’t it?”

She let out a bark of a laugh, “yeah, but this time it’s my plan. Tonight, at dusk, I’m going to distract your guard. You guys are going to leave the pen and go North. You’ll see a tiny hut with a tarp on it. Madi will be waiting for you at the hut; she’ll get you out of camp and take you to the Rover. There should be enough supplies to get you guys through the next month. You need to get to Polis, the bunker is sealed, and we couldn’t get through the debris. With Raven, you guys can probably figure it out. I’ll follow when I can, but do me a favor and if you’re around any of the miners uphold the story we used to be a thing, okay?”

Murphy listened to her entire plan before speaking, “How do you know this will work? How do I know this isn’t some elaborate plan to get us murdered even faster?” 

“Seriously Murphy? I haven’t tried to kill you in years, that should earn me some trust, right?” Clarke said, the start of a smile on her face.

“I mean, I’ve kind of been not even on the same planet as you for those years, so not really, no,” he muttered, the whisper of a grin on his face. "Besides, what the hell happened to your face?" he pointed at the dark bruising. 

Clarke blanched when he mentioned the bruise, but ignored his question as she glanced around and noticed Thomas returning, “Quick, Thomas is coming. Pick arm, shoulder or face.”

“What? No! I’m not playing this game” Murphy protested, taking a few steps back, trying to get away from her.

Clarke shrugged, “I tried” she muttered before reaching out to deck Murphy in the gut, knocking the breath from him as he doubled over in pain.

Murphy glared up at Clarke, his face full of venom as Thomas walked up and grabbed his arm, “Play time’s over. Let’s go.”


	4. Mistakes And Tough Decisions Are The Same Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke has to sacrifice someone to save them all. Will this be the final straw that destroys her or the salvation she's needed for so long?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll notice there's a tag update for character death, and there's going to be some very questionable consent in this. Not detailed, just the beginning. Be aware if that's a problem for you

Thomas unlocked the door of the pen and shoved Murphy in, kicking the back of his knee so he would fall flat on his face. Murphy groaned, half exasperated, and half because he landed, again, on his recently broken nose.

Rolling over, Murphy glared up at the man as he re-tied the pen shut, “What the fuck is your problem? Does it like turn you lot on pushing me into the dirt? Seriously!”

Thomas ignored them, and stood silently across from the pen, watching them without saying a word as the rest of Skaikru rushed over to their fallen member. Bellamy didn’t move a muscle, only looking up at him from where he’d sat in the shelter. Emori helped Murphy to his feet, checking him over as he took his feet.

“What the fu-” Raven started to speak, before shutting up when Murphy ignored her to approach Bellamy, who just so happened to be the farthest from Thomas.

“Turns out, Princess isn’t as crazy as she seems. I mean, she’s still crazy, but not batshit crazy” Murphy muttered, keeping his voice low enough that Thomas wouldn’t be able to hear him.

“Murphy, what do you mean?” Monty asked, stepping forward. His eyes were full of concern and curiosity, his voice soft as well.

Murphy looked around, catching Bellamy’s eye before he spoke, “Apparently, Princess is trying to save her daughter’s life by throwing us under the bus. According to her though, she’s got a plan.”

“I’m sure I just misheard you. Did you say her daughter? And why did she say you and her used to?” Harper spoke, looking her face full of confusion that matched the rest of Skaikru.

“Apparently, Princess has a kid. Who knew? Also, I’m the only one here she doesn’t want to hug” Murphy said, letting out a snort of laughter at the end.

The others looked at each other but remained silent as Murphy spoke. He told them all about his conversation with Clarke, explaining everything he knew. He mentioned the bruises that littered the skin that he could see, from the dark bruise on her cheek to the fading yellow on her wrists, and how she refused to answer how they got there. He detailed her plan to get them out of there, and how she assured him this wasn’t some elaborate ruse to get them killed faster.

As the day passed, they debated back and forth on whether or not they should trust her, before Raven finally spoke up and made the final decision. “Clarke has never let us down before, why should this time be any different? She’s sacrificed herself to save us many times, so we owe her at least a little trust.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Nomen! I’m not leaving you behind! You know what they’ll do when they realize I’m gone!” Madi’s voice was a quiet hiss as she fought to keep her voice down.

“Madi, you know I have no choice. Someone has to stay behind, and once you’re gone, they can’t use you to threaten me anymore. Besides, I need someone to make sure they get to the Rover and free the bunker. If I haven’t joined you guys by then, you can come up with a rescue plan, but I need you to go” Clarke’s voice was soft, resigned and full of love. She wondered if this would be the last time she ever sat in this hut and argued with the girl she’d come to love as her own over the years.

Madi muttered under her breath, only stopping when Clarke leveled her with a glare, “So what all can I take or are we completely doomed?” she asked, looking around the hut’s little supplies.

Clarke grabbed the blankets and laid one out on the ground, and then set everything on it as she listed it, “you’ll take both of these blankets, two of the knives, and these.” Clarke’s voice was soft, as she handed Madi her father’s watch and laid a battered blue book on the blanket and began to tie it up in one bundle.

“Nomen… Are you sure you want me to take your book?” Madi asked quietly, looking up to meet Clarke’s gaze. For the first time in years, Madi’s eyes were full of fear, knowing how much that book meant to Clarke.

Clarke nodded, and reached out, wrapping Madi up in a tight hug before leaning back to kiss her forehead, “I’m sure. I want you guys to have it, and as soon as you’re gone, you know they’ll tear apart this hut and kill me if they find it.”

Madi didn’t say another word, and they set out about their regular daily routine. They were subdued and clung to each other more than ever before. They never left each other’s side, their hands constantly brushing up against each other as they sought out comfort.

When the sun began to set, and they’d eaten their evening rations, they returned to the medical hut. Clarke hugged Madi one last time, and stared at her for a moment longer, trying desperately to memorize her face. In the years since they had met, Madi had grown so much. When Clarke found her, Madi had been full of fire. Brave and willing to take on the world. It took her almost a year before she was ready to trust Clarke entirely, and since then, she’s learned to let her guard down. She learned how to pick her battles, and how to bide her time and wait.

Taking one final glance at her daughter, the reason she had fought to survive for so long, she turned and headed towards the pen. She heard a quiet sob behind her but refused to turn back, knowing that if she saw Madi crying, she would never go through with what she had to. Reminding herself that this was for the best, she schooled her face into a flat mask, hiding the pain behind a face so emotionless that Skaikru wouldn’t even recognize her as the woman they’d followed into battle so many times.

Clarke turned the corner, careful to keep the quiet mask on her face as she spotted Thomas standing near the ship. The setting sun had lengthened the shadow of the ship, and it was almost as dark as night back there. Clarke smoothed her shirt, slipping the sharp knife inside her sleeve as she approached Thomas and the pen, being careful to be as quiet as she could. Skaikru watched her, not saying a word and she refused even to look their way.

Feet away from the pen, Clarke tripped over a large rock that had been hidden in the darkness, the knife flying from her grip to slide under the lowest rail of the pen. Clarke let out a quiet gasp of pain as she hit the ground, causing Thomas to spin towards her with his gun drawn.

“Dammit Clarke! I could have shot you, and Gellert would have had my head!” He growled, holstering his weapon and stalking over to her. He yanked her to her feet by her arm, she gasped, wincing, as he managed to grab the spot where Gellert’s bruise was still fading.

“I’m sorry Thomas, I wasn’t watching the ground as well as I should have. It’s just so dark back here” she answered, her voice soft, as she stared up at the towering man.

“Fucking idiot. Can’t believe people used to fear you” he snorted, “What brings you back here anyway? Come to mock your lover again?” his voice was sarcastic, taunting.

“You could say that” the flirtatious grin returned to her face as she stepped towards him, resting the palm of her hand on his arm.

Thomas looked down at her hand then back to her face, a grin creeping over his face, “You’re finally willing to do your job? Who’d have known that we didn’t have to make you do it all those times, only had to have your boyfriend watching” he laughed, stepping towards her, his hand reaching down to grab her ass.

She flinched slightly, but covered it with a slight shiver and ran her hands up his arms to clasp behind his neck, “Maybe I’ve finally realized that you’re not so bad?”

Thomas ducked down, catching her lips in a rough kiss as he backed her up, pinning her against the wall. His hands skimmed over her, grabbing her thighs roughly and hiking them up, pinning her against the cold metal wall. Moving down, he begins to kiss her neck, sucking a hickey onto her skin.

Clarke’s face flushed with shame, and she kept her eyes clenched tightly close the best she could. She was acutely aware that she’d just sold her soul to the devil but didn’t care so long as it saved her people. He bit down on her neck hard, causing her to gasp and her eyes to fly open. For a moment, she locked eyes with Bellamy. His face was angry, and he looked ready to kill. She’d never seen that look on his face before, and she looked away quickly, closing her eyes again and vowing not to open them again.

Thomas began to push her shirt up, leaving her back exposed to the ice cold metal and she jumped, letting out a fake laugh as she leaned into him, “Perhaps we can move this somewhere a little warmer? I’m not going to be doing much good if I freeze to death” her voice was low, sultry.

Thomas paused, looking down at her face as if searching for a sign of a trick. Mistaking the flush on her cheeks and her ragged breathing as interest, he nodded, “What about the smokehouse?”

She nodded eagerly, smiling at him and leaning in to catch his lips again as he carried her around the corner. Before she was out of sight, she held up two fingers, hoping that they’d understand to wait two minutes before taking off in case he backed out. They didn’t. Skaikru stood there silently, exchanging glances but unable to speak. Moving silently, Murphy grabbed the knife Clarke had given them and set to work cutting the hobbles and ties from their wrists, and cutting the tie that kept the pen door shut.

Raven and Monty had to physically restrain from Bellamy as he tried to storm off after Clarke and Thomas, but it wasn’t until Murphy hissed in his ear, “She knows what she’s doing. Don’t make her do this for no reason” that he stopped fighting.

Moving quickly, they set off around the ship, retracing Clarke’s earlier steps with an armed Raven leading the way. Echo brought up the rear, hyper-aware of the danger they were in and ready to kill to get out of there alive. They rounded the corner and spotted Madi leaning against the hut, the bundle at her feet and her hair up in tight grounder braids.

She straightened up as they approached, looking them over and seeming to mentally judge them before they approached. Sharing a wary glance with the others, Harper approached her first, “Madi?” she asked, voice soft.

Madi stared up at her incredulously, and Harper began to open her mouth again to speak. Madi clamped her hand over Harper’s mouth, shaking her head quickly and holding her other hand up to her lips in the universal signal for ‘shut your mouth!’ Assured that Harper had gotten the message, Madi rolled her eyes as she removed her hand from Harper’s mouth, shoving the bundle at her feet into her hands. Reaching into her boots, she pulled out two knives. Looking the Kru over, she passed them to Raven and Bellamy before setting off. No one moved to follow her until Murphy shrugged, following her first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas and Clarke were getting hot and heavy in the smokehouse until Sara opened the door of the smokehouse, a rock in her hand. The short girl stared at the entwined couple, her gray eyes going wide as she stuttered an apology and ran from the room, slamming the door behind her.

The slamming of the door snapped Thomas out of his lust, and he stared down at Clarke. Capturing her lips with his once more, his voice was ragged as he leaned in to whisper to her, “We’ll finish this tomorrow. Go make sure Sara keeps her mouth shut. I need to get back to work.”

Clarke smiled, and slipped out of his grasp, “Of course, Thomas. We’ve got all the time in the world!” she chuckled, and followed him out of the smokehouse.

He took off towards the pen and Clarke collapsed against the side of the smokehouse, tears streaming down her face at the realization of what she’d just done. Hearing a loud yell of anger coming from the direction Thomas had disappeared in, she jumped to her feet, wiping the fears from her face and raced off after Sara, hoping to catch up to her before Thomas caught up to her.

Sadly, luck was not with her that night. She was just a few steps behind Sara when Thomas caught up to her. He grabbed her arm, spinning her around and throwing her on the floor, his face furious and full of murder as he began to beat her, his fists flying as she did her best to protect her face and head from the blows. The rain of blows stopped a few moments later when Gellert yanked Thomas off of her, throwing him back.

“What the fuck, Thomas!” Gellert yelled, glaring at his crew mate and ignoring the shaking and bleeding Clarke on the ground.

“She fucking seduced me so her people could escape!” Thomas spat, trying to get around him to finish the job.

“So you decide to kill the one person who knows where they’d be going and didn’t bother to send anyone after them? You fucking idiot! Go get the guys together and go after them!” Gellert ordered, his voice harsh and his eyes stone cold as he shoved Thomas away once and for all before turning his gaze to Clarke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Madi had successfully led them out of camp through the ditch no one had bothered to repair since last summer when the pouring rains had formed a river under the fence. They had almost reached the treeline when gunshots rang out behind them, and they began to run as fast as they could, their need for stealth gone. Murphy grabbed Madi’s arm, dragging her along. He was determined to keep his promise to Clarke and to keep Madi alive no matter what it took after what she had done.

They ran for their lives, and they had finally hit the treeline when a scream pierced the air. Turning, they found Echo laying on the ground, blood pooling under her. She’d been shot in the chest, and couldn’t get up. Bellamy turned to help, but Raven pulled him with her, knowing they couldn’t help her. Echo stared up at them, screaming and begging them not leave her behind.

“We can’t carry her, Bellamy. If we try, we're all dead” Raven yelled at him, pushing him along.

Bellamy spared one last glance at Echo before leaving her to die. He knew this night would haunt him for the rest of his life, and the last glimpse of Echo he would ever get was her pleading with him, begging not to die like this. The dwindling remains of Skaikru disappeared into the forest, knowing that they had just sentenced a woman they had considered a close friend and ally to a horrible death.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slowly, Clake came to and began to climb to her feet, her head spinning. She was back in the med hut, and it looked like a tornado had gone through it. The table was knocked over, and all of the medical supplies were scattered on the ground. The drawing she kept on the wall that Madi had done years ago was ripped into pieces and strewn on the muddy floor.

“Where are they, Clarke” Gellert’s ice cold voice came from behind Clarke. The sound of it sent a shiver down her spine, she’d never heard his voice sound quite so terrifying as it did now.

Clarke whimpered as she turned to face him, “I don’t know, Gellert. I didn’t plan this; I didn’t do anything, I didn’t know” her voice was broken, rough.

“Clarke. I thought we decided you wouldn’t lie to me. If you didn’t tell help them escape, where the fuck is Madi?” he growled.

“I don’t know… I swear” she sobbed, as finally stood on her own, wobbling from the dizziness.

Sara raced into the med hunt, standing at the door as Gellert raised his hand to hit Clarke again, “Gellert, they caught one of the girls. They shot her! She’s still alive, but we need Clarke to patch her up” she panted, out of breath from the run.

Gellert nodded, lowering his hand as he turned to Sara, “You’re going to learn medical. Get this room cleaned up with Clarke and get ready. If she dies, it’s on both of you, and for god’s sake, don’t sleep with her” he snarled, storming out.

Sara looked down at her feet, her mousey personality keeping her from speaking up, and she began to pick up the supplies. Clarke sniffled, taking a deep breath and got to work righting the table. She was terrified of who they were going to bring in here, of who hadn’t made it to safety with the others.

She never expected them to set Echo on the table. Her breathing was ragged, unequal and it was clear she was dying. Blood began to pool on the table under her as Clarke took a hard look at her. Thomas stood in the corner of the room, silently fuming. He repeatedly cracked his knuckles, glaring at Clarke.

Clarke stared down at Echo on the table, and silently began to formulate a plan, “Sara, I need you to hold Echo, I need to get the bullet out of her but I need her to be completely still, and if she wakes up, she’s going to fight.”

Sara nodded, stepping closer to Echo and slowly held her tight, doing her best to pin the much larger girl down. Clarke nodded and made her final decision. If Echo survived this, she’d be raped and tortured. Beaten and eventually, murdered. There was no hope for her, and there was no hope for Clarke. The only thing to come was pain, and Clarke may have failed to save her the pen, but she couldn’t save her from this.

Tears were rolling down Clarke’s cheeks as she reached into Echo’s abdomen using the two metal probes that were leftover from the ship’s medical kit. As she searched around, locating the bullet, she bumped Echo’s torso with the palm of her hand, making it look like she lurched from the pain. Sara tightened her grip on Echo, whispering an apology. Taking advantage of that, Clarke knicked an artery. Blood began to spurt out of the wound, and Sara began to scream. Thomas yelled for Gellert to get his ass in there, and cursed loudly, pacing the wall.

Clarke grabbed the clean rags and began to pack them in the wound, doing everything she could to stop the bleeding but knowing that within a minute, Echo would be dead and nothing she could do would fix that. Not this time. Echo’s breathing slowed to a crawl and finally stopped forever. Clarke stood there, not moving as she stared down at the face of the first person she’d killed since praimfaya. Her light brown eyes would never open again, and she would never have the chance to build the life she always deserved. Clarke wondered if she’d made the right decision as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Gellert stalked into the medical hut like a lion stalking its prey. As it took in the sight in front of him, he let out a frustrated sigh, “Clarke. We tried, and we tried. We’ve tried to treat you right and let you be one of us, and this is how you repaid us? Why should we even keep you around if you can't keep someone alive?”

Gellert grabbed one of the trays that sat on the counter that used to hold the clean tools. He swung it once, twice and on the third one, he hit Clarke directly in the head. She crumpled to the floor like a broken ragdoll, the world fading to black as blows repeatedly landed anywhere Gellert could reach.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are still enjoying it!! You'll find out what is in Clarke's book soon!


	5. Realizations of  Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy and SkaiKru are working their way to the rover.
> 
> (Honestly, I feel like not too much happened this chapter, but I needed to show SkaiKru finding out about Clarke's hell, and Clarke has to deal with the repercussions of her choice. What do you guys think?)

SkaiKru crept silently through the forest, hiding in the shadows or up trees every time they heard the loud footsteps of the miners searching for them. As they snuck through the forest for hours, Monty, Harper, and Raven all tried to get Madi talking, but every time they spoke, she silenced them with a harsh glare.

Finally, as the sun began to rise and the light began to filter down through the barren branches, making it easier for the exhausted Kru to see, Madi led them to a small nearby cave. The entrance to the cave was tiny, small enough that even Madi had to crawl. If you didn’t know the cave was there, you’d never know it existed at all.

Once you made it past the entrance, the cave opened up into a tall, vast room. Strands of sunlight crept through the entrance, leaving the room cast in shadows but with just enough light to see what was around. The walls were littered with drawings, drawings of Bellamy, Octavia, Miller, Wells, Harper, all of the delinquents lined the walls.

SkaiKru looked around at the sketches, finding their own faces and looking around in confusion. Madi ignored their curiosity and took advantage of their distraction, walking to the back of the cave and returning with some blankets and a few candles. She quickly sparked lit the candles using her flint stone and lit up the cave. For the first time, SkaiKru could finally see all of the sketches in the light and see the blankets, clothes, and supplies that lined the walls.

“We’ll stay here for today, and continue on tonight. It will be safer for us,” Madi announced, her voice determined as she began to unwrap the bundle Clarke had given her, setting the extra knives to the side and grabbing the blanket that had kept her and Clarke warm for so long now.

“Madi, what is this place?” Monty asked, his voice full of wonder and curiosity as he looked down at her.

“Nomen and I used to stay here in the winter, it typically stays pretty warm here, and we can hide here from the animals” Madi shrugged, laying out her blanket towards the back of the cave.

“Clarke is your Nomen?” Emori asked, her eyebrows drawn tight as she puzzled over how the two had come to be family.

Madi nodded, turning to spot Bellamy studying Octavia’s face when Clarke had drawn her, she’d put Lincoln next to her so the two would be together. She grabbed the battered blue book that had been through hell and back and looked down at it, with a soft sigh, she handed it to Bellamy, “Nomen would want you to have this” was all Madi said, retreating to her blankets and lying down to sleep. It was clear that she was done talking for the day.

Bellamy looked down at the little book in his hands; his face puzzled for a moment before he flipped the book open. The first few pages were drawings of the SkaiKru members who had returned to space, but as he flipped through them and the final face of Echo passed, he turned the page to find handwriting - Clarke’s handwriting.

_Day 2,214_

_Dear Bellamy,_

_I’ve had to stop radioing you. The prison colony touched down, and they’ve got some walkie-talkies. They nearly found us today because of it. I’ve hidden the radio with the rover, so it should be safe._

_To be honest, I’m not sure why I’m bothering to write this? You’re probably dead up there, but if you’re back here, then I’m not going to show you this anyways. If I’m dead, then the odds of you finding this are non-existent? I don’t know. I guess it’s just good to believe that someone might find this someday._

_Madi refused to stay with the Rover when I hid it. I didn’t want her to come with me, but she’s just as stubborn as Octavia, so I’m sure you know how well that worked. I told her if anything happens to me she has to go back to the rover and wait, that I’d come for her. If I don’t, she’s supposed to wait for you or Octavia._

_There are so many things I should have told you when you were here, but I never got around to it. I’m s-_

Bellamy slammed the book shut, refusing to read another word. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he stared down at the old book that he held softly, afraid to damage it.  
“What’s in there, Bellamy?” Raven asked curiously, reaching out and grabbing the book from him.

“Give it back” he huffed, but his voice was too late as Raven was already flipping through the book.

It was filled entries, detailing everything that happened, everything she’d endured, from the time the miners first arrived, to one final entry. There was no date on it, just two simple words, scrawled in Clarke’s handwriting.

_I’m sorry._

Raven shut the book slowly, “Holy shit…” her voice was soft, stunned as she handed it back to Bellamy.

The rest of SkaiKru had read over their shoulders. Murphy looked ready to kill the miners, and Emori was ready to fight by his side. Monty shared a worried glance with Harper, but Bellamy merely looked down at Madi who had fallen asleep while they went through the book.

No one said a word as they grabbed blankets and fell asleep in the cool cave, Emori blowing out the candle with a slight puff of air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Clarke blinked awake, the pain crashing back into her as she slowly came awake. She could hardly see past all of the swelling in her face, both eyes were black, her nose was broken, her lip was split, and that was just what she could tell without moving.

She groaned loudly as she tried to sit up, but when she put weight on her arm, the pain intensified. Her left arm was definitely broke, again, and she whimpered quietly as she slid up against the nearby wall. From the pain of breathing, she could guess that at least one of her ribs was cracked, if not completely broken. Everything hurt, and there was nothing for her to do but sit there and wait to die.

Clarke looked around the room the best that she could, but saw only darkness. She ran her right arm around the wall and floor, feeling desperately for anything that would tell her where she was. It wasn’t until she brushed the metal rivets on the floor that she realized her eyes weren’t just swollen shut. She was back in the closet, and the light was blocked again, leaving her with no way to tell what day it was, or even whether it was day or night. She began to wonder how long she’d been out, how long had it been since Madi had been freed, and whether she would die here in this closet.

She heard the loud creak of the door being opened and she looked around, desperately trying to see anything. It hurt to move though, and with the swelling as bad as it was, she could only see the brightness and the roughest outline of a person.

She followed the shadow as it leaned in closer to her, and flinched away when it moved its arm towards her, reaching out to touch her cheek. She gasped in pain when the cold fingers brushed her cheek. The person spoke not a word as they tilted her head back and began to dribble water into her mouth. It was then that she realized how thirsty she was, having not realized it through all of the pain.  
  
“Please” she whispered, her voice broken and raspy, “help.”

They didn't answer, only chuckling quietly as they stood back up. She couldn't tell who it was, it must have been someone she didn't talk to often, but one of the men. She heard a loud splash hit the ground next to her, followed by a loud gasp and rough cough. There was someone on the ground next to her, and they'd thrown water on them to wake them up.

The next thing Clarke heard was the creak of the metal door as it slammed shut, returning the room to the darkness. Clarke tried to breathe quietly, hoping that the person with her would speak. She inched her way as far from the person as she could, staying close to the wall.

“Please… wh-what's happening?” The person lying in the room with her finally broke her silence. The voice of was feminine, familiar.

“Sara?” Clarke rasped, unable to speak much before the pain grew to be too strong. After a moment's pause, “I'm sorry.”

Sara was crying slightly, her quiet sobs racking her body. She'd been beaten after they'd finished with Clarke, treated as they used to treat Clarke soon after her arrival.

Minutes passed, it could have been hours, and they'd never have known before Sara spoke again. She'd managed to stop crying and was now sitting in silence; her knees pulled to her chest, her arms wrapped tight around herself.

“I know it was an accident… you did your best to save her…” Sara whispered, trying to console Clarke, forgiving her for the situation they were now in.

Clarke said nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the sun set over the forest, SkaiKru awoke from their restless slumber. After what they had read, no one had slept peacefully.

“Get up. We’re leaving in five minutes” Madi’s voice broke the evening silence. She folded her blanket, standing near the entrance. She'd lit one of the candles so everyone could see as they got ready to leave.

“Alright, I'm getting really tired of the bossy kid here” Murphy grumbled, voice still heavy from sleep as he got to his feet, stretching.

Madi turned to face Murphy, her face pulling back into an enraged snarl as she stormed over to him, “I will stop bossing you around when you get your fucking act together” she jabbed him in the chest as she finished speaking.

Raven stepped forward to grab the girl away, but Murphy put his hand out to stop her. He towered over the girl, glaring down at her, “You need to mind your fucking manners, brat. Do you have any idea all we’ve done?”

Madi stepped into him, drawing closer as he tried to intimidate her, “Oh I know. I've heard all about you, John Murphy. But do you know what else I know? My nomen is most likely dead right now because she had to save you.” Her voice was quiet, threatening and feral.

Madi tried to attack Murphy, reaching out to hit and punch, her only goal to cause him the pain he so rightly deserved in her opinion. Before she could land a blow though, Bellamy had scooped her, dragging her away from Murphy.

He set her down at the other end of the cave, and she shot them a death glare. Emori was whispering quickly to Murphy, silencing him. Madi thundered out of the cave, Bellamy following after her.

The night air was crisp, howling wind blew through the forest, bringing an eerie feel to the night. Madi took a deep, shuddering breath as she paced the forest. When she drew close to one of the trees, her fist flew out, crashing into it.

“Clarke will be fine” Bellamy’s voice broke the silence, “she's strong.” His voice was hopeful, and she wasn't quite sure if he was trying to convince her, or himself.

“You don't know anything, Bellamy. You don't know them” she turned an accusatory glare to him, “you weren't here, and then you made her kill herself to save you. You don't know…”

Bellamy nodded, “you're right. I don't know. But I have hope. And I trust her… she just has to stay alive until we get the rest of our people out. We’ll get her back.” He sounded more confident now, more sure of his decision.

Her face faltered, the mask of hatred cracking and revealing the scared girl within, “What if your people are dead? What if it's just us?”

He took a moment before he answered, considering the possibility that his sister was dead, “Then we’ll figure it out. But I'm not giving up on her, and you shouldn't either.”

 


	6. Deceptions and Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke pays the price for SkaiKru. Will she survive until they return to her? SkaiKru finally reaches the bunker, only to see what lays in front of them. Will they free them before it’s too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has got some torture in it, just be aware. The next chapter of this probably won’t be up until next Friday, but I might be able to get to it before then. Not sure yet, but I’ll try.

Clarke awoke back in the medical hut. She lay still, pain wracking her body as she curled up on her side. She began to pull her legs up but stopped. Her ankle felt heavier, uncomfortably so, and she reached down, wincing in pain. Her fingers reached her ankle and brushed against freezing cold metal. She began to fumble, following the metal as it encircled her ankle. Her head dropped back onto the cold ground as the realization dawned on her. A large and heavy metal chain was keeping her hostage.

As she moved her leg, feeling the pull of the heavy chain, the chain pulled back. She sat up as quickly as she could, trying to see who was there. Seeing the jet black hair and pale white skin, she realized who it was, “Sara?” her voice was rough like sandpaper.

Sara sniffled, “Yeah…” she took a shuddering breath before continuing, “they chained us up in here, tied me to you. Said if you don’t teach me, they’re going to make us wish we were dead.”

Clarke nodded, realizing what would happen to her when she no longer served a purpose, but knowing how much worse they could make her life. The day passed slowly as the two women worked on organizing the hut, with mostly consisted of Sara describing something and Clarke telling her where it went. By the time that they had finished cleaning up, Clarke had come to the realization that there were no knives or anything sharp left at all, most likely to prevent them from taking their own lives.

As dusk fell, Clarke began to curl up into as tight of a ball as she could in the corner of the hut. Long ago, Sara had fallen silent, not wanting to speak. The mousey girl was not suited to be a doctor, and it was clear to them both that this was not going to go well for anyone. Liam came for Sara before the sun had completely set. She’d been sobbing as he led her away, her eyes staring desperately back at Clarke as if praying the beaten girl could save her when she couldn’t even protect herself.

When darkness had settled over the camp and the crickets began to chirp, the moon high in the dark sky, Liam dragged her back in, chaining her back to Clarke. Sara didn't say a word or fight, having mentally checked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time dawn rose over the forest, Madi and SkaiKru had reached the cave in the badlands where the rover was located. Bellamy had been ecstatic to see the rover and began to check it over for scratches or dents, and Raven had immediately set to work checking the engine over to see how she was running.

Monty began cataloging all of the supplies with Emori’s help, and they soon discovered that Clarke’s preserving skills meant that there was enough food to last all of them at least a month! While the others dug through the piles of food, clothing, and medicine, Madi found her little pile of belongings and began to sort through all of the things she had not seen in months. She grabbed her large knife and clutched it tightly, kissing the blade and holding it up to study before tucking it into her boots. She grabbed her pistol, tucking it into her pants and then ran her hands over the smooth wood of her bow.

Murphy walked over to her, having watched her arm herself to the teeth, “Do you really think you need a gun?”

“Do you really think I don’t? After everything?” her voice was sarcastic as she turned away from him, muttering under her breath.

“Madi? Where are the keys?” Raven asked, her voice puzzled as she peeked out from under the hood.

Madi dug through her pile until she found the small cloth pouch and held up the keys, “What do you need?”

Bellamy reached over to snag the keys, but Madi yanked them out of his reach before he could grab them. Raven snickered at the two of them, watching their silent standoff. Madi apparently won as she marched over to Raven and cocked her eyebrow, waiting for an answer. She was definitely Clarke’s daughter, the way she stood proudly and like she owned the world was a dead giveaway.

“Start her up; I’d like to get us out of here in case they head this way, so I need to make sure she’s running smoothly” Raven explained, wiping the grease from her hands onto her jeans.

“They’re not going to head this way. We’re staying here tonight. That’s final.” Madi’s voice was solid, but she did as she told and hopped into the driver’s seat.

The rover started up without a fight. Madi, on the other hand, never stopped fighting. The next day was full of bickering and squabbles, power struggles and stubbornness from this brave fighter. She’d won the right to drive to Polis with her sass, asking Bellamy when the last time he’d driven was. She’d proved to be too difficult to disobey, and it made SkaiKru uncomfortable to take lessons from someone as young as her.

When they arrived at the bunker a day after finding the Rover, Emori let out a low whistle at the sight of the debris burying it deep. Some of the smaller rocks had been moved, but there were tons still covering the door. Bellamy frowned, staring down at the door of the bunker as he wondered whether his sister was even alive down there after all.

“We tried to dig them out the best we could, but eventually Nomen made us stop” Madi broke the silence, looking over to Bellamy.

He shot her a puzzled look, and Madi continued, “One of the boulders got loose and almost crushed me. She figured it could wait until you got down here to help.”

“Well, let’s get to work then” Harper shrugged, stepping forward and climbing down into the rubble pile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next week passed much the same for Bellamy and crew. They slept in the rover at night, and while it was cramped and uncomfortable, they managed to make it work. They used the rover and some heavy duty straps to help pull the largest chunks of rubble out of the way and were making quick work of it. By the time a week had passed, the rubble was completely cleared off.

It wasn’t long before Madi had proven herself to SkaiKru. She was a fast learner, smart as a whip and a hard worker. They often had to force her to take breaks with the rest of them. Slowly, Madi began to warm up to them bit by bit, seemingly without even noticing they were growing on her. She was particularly fond of the grumpy Murphy who she felt was the one person other than Clarke that was most like herself.

Back at the miner’s camp, Clarke and Sara were living a routine nightmare. Every morning, Clarke was beaten and tortured, questioned on where SkaiKru had gone. They’d been sending out patrols every day but had yet to find the delinquents. Clarke refused to speak every day, still trying to convince them that Madi had been kidnapped.

The days passed much the same as that first one as well. Clarke tried to teach Sara everything she could, and she grew stronger by the day. The swelling on her face finally began to go down and she could help Sara learn the herbs now that she could finally see again. Her arm began to heal, and while she still tried not to use it, it didn’t hurt as much when she did slip up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the final boulder was clear of the bunker door, SkaiKru realized that they still had not defeated the final hurdle. The door would not budge, and they could not open it from the outside. Raven and Monty got to work trying to figure out how to contact the bunker crew or pop the door open, but it wasn’t until Emori found a keypad that they had their first breakthrough.

Raven quickly programmed one of the walkie-talkies and plugged it into the keypad, using the little black tablet that had survived their flight from Praimfaya and seven years in space to try and program the walkie. Finally, a grin lit up Raven’s face, and she turned to Bellamy.

“This should broadcast into the bunker only. You can talk to your sister. They can talk back to us too” she grinned, her excited smile looking like a thousand watt light bulb.

“Octavia? Octavia, can you hear us? It’s Bell. We cleared the door.” his voice was eager, as he spoke into the speaker.

As the minutes turned into hours, their excitement faded and the fear began to grow. Maybe Octavia had never survived Praimfaya, and they’d been dead for years. Maybe they’d died two years ago when Bellamy hadn’t returned home on time.

By the next morning with still no response, Raven and Monty got to work again. The master geniuses debated plan after plan, trying their best to come up with the perfect plan. They could always blow the bunker open, but that would draw the attention of the miners, and that was something they desperately wanted to avoid this time around.

It took another day for Monty to finally figure out how to hack into the security system and open the lock with the tablet. It took an entire day for Monty and Raven to figure out the system, but they eventually did. Ten days after leaving Clarke behind, Monty hacked the lock system and popped the door.

Bellamy and Murphy quickly pulled the door all the way open, only to be met with dark, stale air. Exchanging grim and worried glances, SkaiKru descended into the black bunker, not knowing who would be waiting for them, if anyone was still alive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The door to the med hut opened slowly, light flooding in. A hand reached down, grabbing Clarke’s right arm and yanking her along She tried to scramble to her feet, but they just kept pulling her, and she was unable to get her feed under her. The only sound was the door slamming shut behind them, trapping Sara alone in the hellish space. They spoke not a word, and although her face swelling had gone down, she still couldn’t tell who she was looking at.

They dragged her into the ship and down the hallway, rounding multiple corners until. She finally was able to scramble to her feet just as they opened another door. The pungent smell of mead and sweat lurched out, and Clarke began to whimper. She knew that smell and the room it belonged to, and it was not a good smell.

“Hello, Clarke” Gellert’s voice came from in front of her as she was shoved down into a chair, “Where are they?”

“I don’t know, Gellert. I told you everything. I swear” her voice was soft, pleading as she prayed this would be the time he believed her.

Gellert frowned as he stared down at her, “I know you know better, Clarke. I expect more from you, don’t disappoint me. Where are they?”  
  
Clarke shook her head, not speaking this time. Grumbling in frustration, he grabbed a hammer from the nearby table and held it above her arm, the threat silent but crystal clear. When she didn’t say a word, he brought it down on her left arm, re-breaking the bone that had just begun to heal. She screamed, panting and whimpering from the horrifying pain.

The next thing she knew, she heard metal rattling behind her, the sound of a drawer being slid open and rifled through. Gellert said not a word for long moments, and silence ruled the chilly office. Long moments passed before the footsteps started. The heavy thud of boots echoing in the chamber sent chills up her spine as they stopped right in front of her.

She knew she should keep her head down, but her fear and curiosity overrode her desire, and she looked up, glancing out from beneath the hair that had fallen in her face. She could see the blurred outline of Gellert in front of her, the glinting of a knife as the light bounced off it visible.

“Clarke. I’m going to ask you one more time. Where are they?” his voice was deceptively calm, and if Clarke didn’t know better, she could have believed it was merely a man talking to his child.

“I don’t know” Clarke’s voice broke, sobbing. She clenched her eyes tight, knowing what was sure to follow was going to end horribly for her.

Gellert sighed, “Clarke, I gave you a chance to tell me the truth.” He reached out, gently running the knife down her arm, not cutting her but just drawing the cold metal along her skin, causing her to shiver from fear.

As he drug the knife back up her arm, he applied more pressure. The sharp knife left a long cut up her arm, and she froze, afraid that if she moved the knife would slip and knick an artery. This continued for what felt like hours but was likely only minutes, before Gellert stopped the torture. By that point, she was covered in new deep cuts.

The door opened again, the person who had brought her to the room returned. Liam cleared his throat, “Gellert, we think we found them.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally fell asleep as I was writing the final section so if there are any weird things blame the sleep deprivation


	7. Things Will Only Get Worse Before They Get Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I’m so sorry I haven’t put out a new chapter in this story since last year. My anxiety has been kicking me in the butt and everything I wrote felt wrong. Anyways, no excuses. I’m back and working on a new posting schedule, the new goal is to write one chapter a week which will be split between this story and my other one, so this one should get an update every other week. If you’ve stuck with me this long, you’re the real MVP and I really appreciate you! Be sure to check out the end notes on this chapter, because I’m letting you guys play the role of fate for a pretty big decision in this story!

Gellert turned to Liam and Thomas as they came in, his eyes glinting menacingly, “Perfect. Hear that Clarke? We’re going to get them back. Don’t worry, we’ll bring Madi home I can’t promise she’ll be in one piece, but, what’s the harm if everyone has a little fun, am I right?” his voice was cold, mocking.

Clarke was too weak and battered to let out much more than a feeble protest, attempting to strain against the restraints but unable to even do a thing. Gellert merely chuckled, grinning down at her like a feral animal, before turning to look over at Thomas.

“I don’t care what happens to her. Make sure she’s alive and in this room when I get back, but I don’t care who comes in here or to do what. Understand?” his voice was eager this time, like a coonhound who has caught the scent of its prey and sees the end is near.

“Good. How’d we find them, Liam?” Gellert asked, reaching for his gun and returning it to its spot on his hip. He’d taken it off before he started in on Clarke, knowing that even she wouldn’t be dumb enough to miss a chance to shoot him.

“Seems they found some tire tracks and were able to follow them. Apparently, her fabled SkaiKru isn’t as smart as she said.” Liam grinned, reaching for the door.

Gellert threw his, head back in laughter, turning to Clarke. “Seems your little girl ran off with a bunch of idiots.” Before she could react, he reached out, grabbing a fistful of her hair tight in his hand and slamming her head down on the desk in front of her. 

As Clarke slipped into unconsciousness, Gellert and Liam stepped out of the room, on their way to hunt down SkaiKru. Her last thought before fading out completely was a silent plea for help. From who? She wasn’t sure, but maybe there was someone out there who would help, even though they’d clearly never been interested in helping before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

SkaiKru stared down the hallways of the dark bunker. As they looked around, they drew their weapons, unsure what would lay ahead. They kept their weapons aimed at the ground as they glanced around, their eyes adjusting to the black hallway, the only light creeping in from outside was that of the full moon. 

Madi glanced around the dark bunker, before taking a step back to fall in line behind Bellamy and Murphy. She may be better at surviving on Earth than they were, but this was certainly out of her depth, and she was smart enough to know that.

Bellamy nodded at her as she moved back, and the group began to walk forward. No one spoke a word, the only sound breaking their silence was the gentle thud of their boots on the concrete floor. There was no conscious decision not to speak, but the bunker seemed more like a tomb than a safe haven, and it felt wrong to speak out and shatter the calm that settled over them all.

At the end of the hallway, a large metal door blocked their way. It had been designed to serve as a failsafe in case the main entrance had failed, and it was doing its job flawlessly. Reaching out, Murphy attempted to open the stoic metal door, but it didn’t move even a centimeter. A small keypad sat on the wall next to the behemoth, and Raven stepped up to get to work.

As Monty and Raven pulled the keypad off of the wall and began to try and get the door to open, Bellamy watched silently. His heart was buried down low in his chest, the hope of Octavia still being alive dwindling with every moment that the bunker released not even the faintest hint of sound.

After what seemed like forever, the door let out a soft beep, the metal within it clanging as the mechanisms unlocked. Murphy looked over at Bellamy, and when Bellamy nodded back, he slowly began to creep the door open.

Bright light began to flood the tunnel, and the hallway began to come to life. In the distance, they could hear voices, the sounds of life. A grin began to creep over Harper’s face, and she let out a breathless chuckle, relieved at the signs of life. Murphy flung the door the rest of the way open, and the bright light momentarily blinded them.

Madi hung further back behind SkaiKru as they walked through the door and into the bunker, her hands tightly clutching the gun in her hands. She’d never been around a crowd that sounded so large, or in a place that felt so tight and claustrophobic. She wanted nothing more than to turn back and wait for them at the entrance, but Clarke needed her. She needs to be strong for her, so she took a settling breath, squared her shoulders and stared ahead, following behind. Her heart beat in her chest like a war drum, and she was jumpier than a rabbit, whirling to face every sound.

SkaiKru wandered through the bunker for a few minutes, trying to follow the voices that echoed around through the hallways. It wasn’t long before they came across someone they didn’t recognize, probably one of the former grounders. He stared at them, his eyes wide and he didn’t speak for a moment. He clearly recognized them and knew who they were to his shock. 

“I’m Bellamy; we’re trying to find our way to Octavia? Do you know where she is?” His voice was calm on the outside, but you could hear the undercurrent of excitement at the prospect of seeing his sister again.

“Y-Yeah. Uh. She’s usually in the main hall. How did you get in here? Did you get the door open?!” the young man’s voice was eager as he looked them over, the shock of seeing someone, anyone, other than a member of WonKru beginning to wear off.

“Yeah, we did, but we need to talk to Octavia. Don’t tell anyone that it’s open, okay? There’s danger out there, more than you know. Can you lead us there?” Bellamy asked, a slight grin on his face now that any fear of his sister being dead had been cleared by the man’s answer.

“Come on! Follow me!” the young man set off a fast jog, eagerness taking over his manners. Bellamy rolled his eyes and followed along after the man, matching his pace. The rest of SkaiKru sped to a fast walk, not willing to jog along but careful not to lose sight of Bellamy. The deeper into the cavernous bunker they went, the more antsy Madi became.

The group caught up with them as they stood outside of a door at the entrance to the main gathering area. As the young man lifted his hand to knock, Bellamy grinned and opened the door, consequences be damned! Four people sat inside, gathered around a meeting table. As the door flung open, they looked up, their expressions annoyed, until they caught sight of who it was.

Octavia, Abby, Kane, and Indra sat around the table, clearly in the middle of an important meeting. Octavia had barely changed, at least physically. You could tell by the way she held herself that she was more in charge, assured and confident with everything. Her hair was longer now and pulled back into the grounder braids she’d come to favor. Abby and Kane sat across from her, the years evident on their faces. They had new wrinkles now, and Kane’s hair had almost begun to take on a salt and pepper look. Next to Octavia sat Indra, who looked the same as always, but perhaps a bit softer around the eyes, less like the warrior she’d once been, but one glance into her piercing eyes and you could tell she was still always ready for the fight.

The moment Octavia locked eyes on Bellamy, she jumped to her feet and raced around to hug him, squeezing him tightly in her arms. The rest of SkaiKru shuffled into the room as they hugged, scouring the faces of everyone inside. Madi didn’t enter, staying outside in the hallway, this wasn’t her place. Abby eagerly scoured the faces of SkaiKru, her eyes lighting up as she took them in before her face crashed at the realization of who was missing.

“Oh my god, Bell! How’d you get in here?!” Octavia asked, grinning as she pushed back from him to look at everyone else.

“That would be me. Of course” Raven laughed, stepping forward to hug her. 

“Sure, you know I did nothing to help at all, Reyes. Nothing at all” Monty huffed, his voice playful as he shot her a grin.

“Yeah yeah, fine, Monty helped too,” Raven said as Octavia grabbed her tight as well.

Hugs were traded among the members of the group by all but Indra and Madi, who both stayed out of the group hugging. Once the hugs were completed, Bellamy turned back to his sister, his smile faltering a bit, nervous as he spoke, “Did Miller make it?”

“Of course. He’s here, well, not here, here but around here” Octavia’s voice began to run, eager as she finally was reunited with the friends and brother she’d long ago began to fear were dead. Bellamy’s grin widened again at the word, and he mumbled a quiet “thank god” as she spoke.

“Where’s Clarke?” Abby’s voice was soft, pleading that they wouldn’t say the words she feared would come next. Her eyes searched Bellamy’s for a hint, a sign that Clarke was just around the corner, and that she’d be there soon.

“She’s not here,” Madi spoke before Bellamy could, stepping into the entrance of the room. She finally slid her gun back into her waistband but kept her hand on it warily as she looked at Abby.

Abby studied Madi for a moment; her face growing puzzled as she failed to recognize the young girl, “Who are you? Where is she? Is Clarke… is Clarke alive?” her voice breaking as she asked.

“I’m Madi. Clarke’s daughter. I’m not sure if she’s alive. If she is, it won’t be for too much longer. The miners won’t take kindly to what she did” Madi’s voice was even, factual. She shot a dirty glare at SkaiKru as she spoke the last line, before turning back to Abby.

“Clarke’s daughter? What? Who are the miners? What’d she do?” Abby’s voice was full of confusion, matching the expressions of the rest of the WonKru leaders, the questions flying from her lips as they ran together.

“Clarke found me soon after Praimfaya, and we’ve been together ever since. We waited for you guys, any of you to show up, and you never did. When the miners touched down a year ago. She thought it was SkaiKru, so we went right over. It wasn’t. They’ve kept us hostage since then. When SkaiKru finally touched down, she…” Madi took a breath, settling her nerves before continuing, “She traded herself to give them a chance to escape. We need to get her back, and we need to get her back now.”

Abby’s face blanched, “What does she mean, Bellamy? Clarke wasn’t with you?” Her voice became sharp as her eyes stared right into him.

“Praimfaya was coming… Someone had to stay behind to fix the radio signals. She made us leave her, Abby. She didn’t give us a choice…” Bellamy told her quietly, meeting her gaze.

“You -” Abby’s voice was a snarl as she turned to him, Kane cutting her off with a hand on her shoulder. 

“We need to get her back then” Indra’s voice broke the silence that had descended over the group.

Madi looked Indra over, her eyes scanning. After a moment, Madi nodded once, definitively, “That’s the first smart thing I’ve heard in weeks.”

Octavia turned to look at Madi, her face was grim as she spoke, “Tell us about the miners then. We need to know we’re up against.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had a been a long hike, but Gellert and the miners finally arrived at the rover. The vehicle sat among the rubble, hastily hidden by someone who hadn’t taken the time to do it right. Liam and a group of scouts set out to search the area silently while Gellert and his group began to inspect the Rover.

The group began to search it, looking for weapons or supplies that would be of use to them. What they were really hoping to find, however, was the keys. As he searched, Gellert found a small, beaten up blue notebook tucked away underneath the driver’s seat. He cracked the book open, but before he could start to read, Liam returned.

“You’re going to want to see this, Gellert. It seems Clarke lied about where that bunker was, looks like they made it inside” His voice was unsure, hoping his boss’s temper wouldn’t be taken out on him.

Slamming the book shut, Gellert threw it back into the rover, cursing. “Grab the guns damn it. Let’s clean this place up while we’ve got the element of surprise. How hard can it be to clear a bunker?” he let out a harsh bark of laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarke’s head was throbbing as she returned to the world, her mouth parched. She tried to reach up to touch her head and was shocked to find that she had been untied. The rest had given her eyes a little bit more of a chance to heal, and she could see slightly better, enough to tell who was crouched in front of her.

The glacier blue of her eyes met the mocking hazel in front of her as Thomas got to his feet, “Glad to see you’re awake, Wanheda. I’d hate for you to miss out on the fun.”

His smirk reminded her of a wild cat who wanted to play with its prey. He had won, and he knew it, there was nothing left Clarke could do to stop him. He reached out, his hand soft as he ran it over Clarke’s cheek before pulling back to slap her, hard enough to send her face reeling from the blow.  
“That was a cruel trick you played, Clarke. Trying to seduce me so your little people could escape. You shouldn’t have done that.” As he spoke, he removed his belt, laying it on the desk. His gun quickly followed, resting near the edge of the desk, just out of reach. “You need to pay for what you did.” 

Clarke’s eyes grew wide, like a trapped animal as she began to look for a way out, but knowing there wasn’t one. Thomas’ grin widened as he drew closer, “It shouldn’t take too long, you’ll have plenty of time to see what happens when Gellert gets back.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ - Gellert’s office is where most of the weapons are kept, he doesn’t want them where the others can reach in case they decide to revolt.” Madi finished, looking at the amassed leaders.

A knock at the door drew their attention before they could speak. After a quick “come in” from Octavia, Miller stepped through, only to stop short at the sight in front of him. He quickly stepped forward, not remembering to shut the door behind him as he grabbed Monty up in a tight hug.

As new hugs and greetings were shared, and Madi was introduced once more, a loud ruckus began to echo throughout the bunker. It was distant still, but the sound was unmistakable. The sound of gunfire and pained screams floated through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone, it is time to play the role of fate. I can’t decide if I want to tie in a bit of the plot from the parallel story to this one, and really it’s a decision for fate. So, we’ve got two choices here and since you’re playing the role of Fate, you don’t get to know what they are. Leave a comment below with “Option A” or “Option B” and the one with the most votes wins. I’ll be sure to reveal what the fates decided when that part comes up in the story! Also, be sure to check out my other story which also got a new chapter this week! I kind of hate the chapter I wrote for the other one, it felt a bit more forced than this one so I hope you still like me after.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanfic. I'd love to hear feedback and suggestions, and I hope you guys enjoy it. I do not have a Beta so anything I mess up is mine haha. The first chapter is like no angst compared to what's coming.
> 
> All non OC characters/settings/whatever belongs to the original creator.
> 
> Also, why did no one tell me how terrifying it is watching your number of hits go up?! I feel so bad for all those times I didn't click kudos.


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